


Second Nature

by BeepBeepSam



Category: IT (2017)
Genre: Bullying, Friends to Lovers, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-08 10:42:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18893008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeepBeepSam/pseuds/BeepBeepSam
Summary: Eddie needs a little help and doesn't want to admit it. Bill is more than willing to be that help.Requested one-shot where Bill stands up for Eddie and the two idiots come to an understanding.





	Second Nature

Eddie shrieked on his way down from the quarry's edge before being the sound was cut off as his body became submerged by cold water. He kept his eyes squeezed shut as he floated to the surface, gasping for air when his head met air again. He rubbed the water out of his eyes and grinned when he heard splashes around him, signaling the jumps of the other losers. 

It was the last day of summer before their sophomore year, and because of tradition, they had been camped out at the quarry all day. It was their last day of freedom, so they wanted to spend it away from adults and chores and the confinements of their own rooms. But mostly, they wanted to spend it together. 

It had been a shock to most of the people in town that the Losers had stayed so close together over all these years. Most figured they would go separate ways as they grew up, but truthfully, they were closer than ever. Each and every one of them brought a uniqueness to the group and it's what balanced them out. Their bond was a puzzle to an outsider, but to them, they were best friends, plain and simple. He just hoped going into their first year of high school wouldn't split them up. 

Eddie thought about this as he watched Bev climb onto Ben's shoulders while Stan was coerced onto Mike's for a game of chicken. Bill had been deemed referee as Richie swam around them, being more of a nuisance than providing any actual help.

Eddie laughs along when Bev is laughing too hard to even pretend to take the game seriously and Ben struggles more to keep a hold on her than he does to defend himself and it's pretty clear the winner will be. 

"Eds, ya gonna just stand there or are you going to help me knock down Stan the Man?!" Richie shouts as Bev and Ben float back up from where they had been knocked over and plunged into the water. He rolls his eyes and swims over, not so eagerly climbing onto Richie's shoulders. Bill helps him up and when he swims back, Eddie doesn't hear them count to three before he's easily pushed off of Richie's shoulders and dragging the boy down with him. 

"What the hell was that?!" Richie complains indignantly as his head pops back up from the water. Eddie flushes red but he just sends a splash of water into Richie's face. 

"I obviously wasn't ready, dipshit. Why did you start counting so early?" Eddie snaps and splashes Richie again, only smiling when he hears the others laughing. Stan is comfortably sitting on MIke's shoulders, looking smug. Even though he never would admit to enjoying these childish games, he has a serious competitive side and takes any challenge seriously. 

"A-Alright, my turn," Bill speaks up and Stan's smile drops. Bill is probably the only one who can actually challenge Mike as a base. Ben is not aggressive enough and Richie is too scrawny to even make Mike take a step. 

Eddie is almost sure that Bill will ask Bev to climb onto his shoulders, as she has a history with playing dirty and tickling her competitor, but he turns to Eddie. 

"Rematch?" Bill grins and Eddie grins back, as he swims over and finds his way onto Bill's shoulders. 

"1...2...3, go!" Bev counts and Eddie is ready this time, holding his arms out to wrestle off Stan as Bill and Mike try to keep upright below them. Eddie doesn't see, but suddenly Mike stumbles and Eddie quickly uses this to his advantage and pushes Stan in the direction that Mike is falling. Mike can't stay upright with so much weight making him fall to one side and everyone cheers as the two go under. 

Stan comes up first, looking grumpy as his curly hair is limp and falling around his face before he sweeps it back. Mikes comes up next, but he's a good sport and laughing. 

Eddie snickers at the two of them and lets himself slowly slide off of Bill. Bill is beaming at him and gives him a high five when they're both touching the bottom of the quarry. 

They spend the rest of the afternoon playing around and enjoying the cool water as the sun beats down on them. It reminds Eddie of all the summers he's spent with the losers. He knows high school has a lot more to offer than middle school. Plus, they all have different personalities and interests, meaning they'll all be joining different clubs and sports and the thought worries Eddie. The Losers have always been his only friends, he doesn't want to lose them. 

He sighs as he lies back on his towel. The sun was slowly going down and the group had moved from the water to a small clearing to hang out in. They had laid out their towels to lay out on as they dried and had talked and joked for a few hours. Eventually, Richie and Ben had even passed out, exhausted from the day's events. The others were resting in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's presence despite the quietness. 

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Bev said as she scoots closer to Eddie. She's put on Ben's sweatshirt, leaving the sleeping boy shirtless. Eddie had already put his clothes back on. 

"Everything's gonna change. Starting tomorrow, our lives are gonna be completely different," Eddie frowns and sits up, bringing his knees to his chest. He reaches out to draw random patterns on his towel with his finger. Stan, Mike, and Bill, who had been reading some comics provided by Stan look over at him, giving him their attention. Even Ben and Richie appear to wake up and look at him. 

"Different's not bad. Things might change, but that doesn't mean they won't be good changes," Bev says and gives Eddie a small smile. 

"Aren't you guys worried?" Eddie asks as he looks at them. "Everyone says we'll go separate ways when we get to high school. What if they're right?'

Bill sits up and the others follow him. "I'm not w-worried because I know that won't h-happen," He says simply, staring at Eddie. 

"And how do you know that won't happen?" Eddie challenges. 

"Because you g-guys are the best friends I-I could ever ask for. Nothing w-will ever change that," He says so earnestly that the others nod their heads in agreement. Eddie looks at Bill for a few moments and they're all waiting for his reaction. 

"Right," Eddie sighs, but he still doesn't feel totally happy with school starting. 

~~~

"Hey, E-Eddie, wait up," Bill says as they pack up and start to head their separate ways to go home. The sun went down about an hour ago and the moon and stars are shining brightly. The streetlamps are on, illuminating the neighborhood streets with a dull orange hue. 

Eddie looks up from where he was packing his stuff into the basket on his bike. Bill walks his own bike over. 

"Want to walk home t-together?" Bill asks and Eddie nods. He and Bill only live a few houses away from each other, so it's not like either of them are going out of their way. They wave goodbye to the others before they take their departure. 

They walk home in silence for a few minutes before Bill speaks. "Are y-you still worried about t-tomorrow?"

Eddie bites the inside of his cheek. "Not just tomorrow. Just about everything in general. I don't want anything to change. I like the way things are right now," Eddie admits. 

"Bev was r-right. Change can be good. You'll s-see. Good things are about t-to happen for the l-losers club, I promise" Bill calls as he parts ways with Eddie, making the turn onto his street and hopping on his bike. "See ya at school tomorrow!"

Eddie watches him get further and further away before shaking his head and mounting his own bike, riding the short distance home. 

~~~

Eddie hates high school. 

The Losers were being tested and it seemed like for a while, they would go their own ways like Eddie feared. 

Bill was the first. He had signed up for baseball tryouts and had easily made the team. He did so well, in fact, that he made varsity as a pinch hitter. He was the only freshman to do so. 

Mike was next, followed by Ben. Both had gone to their own tryouts as well. Mike had been approached by the football coach, who was interested in Mike's strong build. Mike had had no interest in the sport before but after some coaxing to come watch practice, he soon was captivated by the sport. Ben had had a little more trouble than the other two. Over the summer, he had taken up weight lifting as a way to get rid of his stubborn baby fat. However, while he definitely had new muscles in place. he was not quite at the level of his peers. He made the cut just barely but was determined to prove his place on the team. He was growing stronger each day. 

Beverly was into anything that allowed her creative side to come through. She had joined yearbook and was often seen wandering around the school with a camera around her neck. She had even started her own organization, Derry's very first art club. There were only four members, but it was a proud accomplishment for her. 

Stan had joined the academic team. He enjoyed merging his competitive side with his intellect. Derry's academic team was not very big, so he quickly earned his place as one of the top competitors. 

Even Richie found his place in school. It was only the second day of school when he accidentally wandered into the school's theatre, getting to witness a rehearsal. Ever since then, he's talked nonstop about how fun performing could be and how much he wants to audition for the fall's play. 

Eddie never wanted to stick out. His plan had always been to blend in with the crowd and keep his head hung low enough for the four years he was stuck there. However, he had still imagined having his losers to help him get through it and if he's being honest, he's never felt more alone. He doesn't say anything though, not wanting to ruin anyone's fun. They all seem content with the new schedule and way things are. Plus, he's pretty sure they would just tell him to join an organization too, but he had no idea what he would fit in. He's not athletic enough for sports and he's not smart enough for any academic clubs. He thought about joining Bev's art club, but he's never drawn in his life.  Performing scares the shit out of him so that's out too. No, for now, he just needs to worry about getting through each day. 

However, their own cliques weren't enough to pull them apart in the end. They met together before school each morning and always made sure to eat lunch together. After school usually held some kind of after-school activity for them, whether it be a game or a practice or a rehearsal, but every Friday, they met up at Bill's house for their mandatory Loser sleepover. 

He would sit there and listen as they told stories of their new group of friends and all the cool things they were doing. It didn't seem like anyone really realized how left out Eddie was feeling. He began to treasure any moment he had with the losers because, while the others branched out, they remained to be his only friends. 

He should have realized, however, that always being alone makes him an easy target. He knows he's small and that has always been what's drawn Henry Bowers to him. Henry should have graduated a year, maybe two, ago, but he still roamed Derry High's halls, causing trouble everywhere he goes. 

When Eddie was little, he was one of Henry's most popular victims. When he joined the losers club, the bullying had almost ceased. The losers club had outnumbered the Bowers gang 7 to 4 and once the other had graduated, it became 7 to 1. Henry Bowers seemed like such a small threat than compared to when they were younger. 

But Eddie soon found that Henry was very aware of the breaking up of the Losers club. And with Eddie being not only the smallest but also constantly alone, Henry zeroed in on him. 

It started out with small disturbances. 

Spitballs were thrown at him that made him gag. Gum was left in between the papers of his notebooks. Milk was poured in his backpack when he wasn't looking. It was annoying and it grossed Eddie out, but they were easily fixed. But it seemed that Henry was just testing out the waters. 

Small pranks became bigger ones. Eddie walked into school one day to see the word "Fag" written in sharpie on his locker. Some people were looking on sadly, others were snickering. Eddie had looked around the halls to see if any of the losers were around, but none were seen. He had missed his first period getting the marker off. 

Soon, Henry had claimed Eddie as his biggest victim. 

"Where're your bodyguards, Faggot?" Henry smirked one day when he found Eddie eating his lunch in the library. 

"Leave me alone," Eddie snapped, moving over to a seat farther away. 

"Not your bodyguards anymore, I see," Henry mused and reached over to steal the bag of chips Eddie had just bought from the vending machine. Eddie sent him a glare, but he didn't ask for them back. "It's kind of pathetic, isn't it? You're here all alone while your bodyguards are out actually having a life. Tell me, what's it like to be so pathetic?" Henry asked in between chips. 

"You should already know," Eddie mutters under his breath, but he regrets it when Henry suddenly kicks out the chair from underneath him, sending him and the rest of his food to the floor. Henry stands up and dumps the rest of the chips onto him before walking away. Nobody comes to help him clean or get up. 

~~~

"Are y-you excited for Fall break?" Bill asked him as they sat in their favorite diner, sipping on milkshakes. He and Bill often had these small friend dates that none of the other losers were invited to. Eddie tries not to think about how Bill doesn't do this with anyone else but him. 

It's no secret that Eddie's had a crush on Bill since he was little. Well, it was no secret to anyone but Bill. The boy remained oblivious. 

Eddie remembers when he was younger, how he used to follow Bill around like a puppy, always doing what he said, no matter how gross or how scared he got. Not much had changed to this day. 

Eddie hummed around his straw. "If only Mrs. Johnson hadn't assigned that book report. I'll have to spend the whole time reading that goddamn book." 

Bill laughed. "She assigned that t-t-two weeks ago. It's y-your fault for waiting to the l-last minute," He teased. 

Eddie rolled his eyes but he laughed along with Bill. They both glanced up when they heard the bell go off over the entrance. 

Henry Bowers strolled in, looking smug. He looked over at Bill and Eddie and he gave a patronizing wave to Eddie. Eddie paled and looked down at his shake, making Bill frown. 

"He's not b-bothering you again, is h-he Eddie?"

Eddie shook his head. "No, but I don't want to encourage him."

Bill nodded while looking at Henry's back. Something did not feel right. 

~~~

By October, Eddie had found that it was best to go straight to school and straight home. Henry had caught him once as he was making a trip to the pharmacy. He had pushed him so hard to the ground, that when Eddie had put his arms out to catch himself, it had sprained his wrist. He had to wear a brace for two weeks. He had told everyone that he had fallen off his bike. 

But even in school, Henry's abuse was getting worse. One day, Eddie had been standing at his locker and had reached in to get a back when his locker was slammed shut. The impact had broken three of his fingers. He was sent home and his mother had taken him to the hospital for a small cast. He then told everyone that he himself had not been paying attention and had accidentally slammed his own fingers in the locker. 

 

Eddie was starting to get anxious about being anywhere where there weren't a lot of people, scared that Henry would corner him and do some actual damage.

~~~

"Eds, my boy, please tell Staniel here that Grease is the all-time, best musical ever produced? He seems to be malfunct-Hey, where did you get the black eye?" Richie frowned when he caught sight of Eddie's face. They all turn to look at him and he has to stop himself from covering it. He wouldn't try to hide it if it was just an accident. 

"My mom was rearranging furniture this weekend. I was helping her lift a table and the corner got me," He lies as he sets his tray down. Bev scoots closer to him and takes his face in her hands, peering closer at the bruise. 

His lie must have worked, though, because, after a little bit of fussing, they all go back to bantering over nothing. Only Bill doesn't participate and Eddie can feel his eyes on him all through the lunch period. 

~~~

"Why w-was your mom rearranging f-furniture?" Bill asks suddenly, popping up beside Eddie as he's trying to walk out the school building. Eddie jumps and looks at Bill with wide eyes. "What?"

"Your mom. Y-You said she was r-rearranging, but she's n-never rearranged her furniture b-before," Bill says, staring at Eddie as they walk. 

"Oh, uh, she just wanted to see how it would look. She didn't like it, though, so we moved it back," Eddie says. 

"You g-got a black eye and your m-mom didn't even take you to the d-d-doctor?" Bill raises his eyebrows curiously. 

"It didn't start to bruise till this morning," Eddie mumbles, uncomfortable from all of Bill's questions. "Why aren't you at practice?" It was Monday and Bill always had practice after school on Mondays. 

Bill shrugs. "Told the c-coach I didn't feel good. Wanted to come over to y-yours," He explains like it's simple. 

"Oh," Eddie says in surprise. 

"Is that o-okay?"

"Sure."

Bill smiles and Eddie stares at him just a little longer before he turns back to watch sidewalk in front of him. 

~~~

However, it all came to a head one day when his mother sent him out to buy milk. 

The weather was colder now, and there was talk of a snow storm being blown in by nightfall. Eddie was bundled up to his mother's satisfaction and sent on his way. 

The trip there had been successful, but he could feel his heart drop when he exited the store and turned the corner to see Henry leaning up against the wall, smoking a cigarette. 

"Ah! My favorite toy. Perfect timing, I was getting a little bored," Henry laughed and grabbed Eddie's jacked by the collar, pushing him into the alley next to the store. 

"Please, I have money, just let me go," Eddie pleaded, taking out the change of the twenty his mother had given him. Henry snatched it out of his hand and delivered a punch to Eddie's stomach. Eddie groaned and curled in on himself. Henry grabbed Eddie's hair and yanked his head back, making a show of pulling out his pocket knife. Eddie's eyes widened and he struggled to get away, but Henry pointed the knife at him threateningly. 

"I don't think you've gotten to meet properly. I call him the "Carver", Henry says and grabs Eddie's arm before shoving the sleeve up and exposing Eddie's forearm. Eddie started to scream and fight, knowing just exactly Henry was planning on "carving" when he heard someone say "Eddie?"

They both look up to see Bill Denbrough standing at the mouth of the ally. 

Bill examines the scene before his face hardens. He grabs the baseball bat that he keeps on his bike and glares at Henry. 

"Let him go," He demands, voice hard. 

Henry looks at him and then the bat before shoving Eddie to the ground and walking away. Bill makes sure Henry has no intention of coming back before he drops his bike and bat, moving to Eddie's side. 

"Are y-you okay?" He asks as he crouches next to Eddie pushes himself onto his knees. 

"Yea, I'm fine," Eddie snaps as he pulls his sleeve back down. 

Bill stands up with him, trying to help him up. "I said I got it, Bill," Eddie says and yanks his arm out of Bills grip. Bill's eyebrows raise at Eddie's tone. 

"You d-didn't look like you had it," Bill argues and walks with Eddie as he grabs the bag with the milk in it. "I thought y-you said he wasn't b-bothering you again. He's the one who g-gave you the black eye isn't he?" Bill interrogates him as they walk. 

"Just leave it alone, Bill." Eddie snaps.

"No! Stop, Eddie, w-wait. This is s-s-serious. He's hurting y-you and you never even t-told me," Bill grabs his arm to stop him, making Eddie face him. 

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd overreact. It's fine. I'm fine. I can take care of myself," He says, but it comes out tired. He doesn't even try to get out of Bill's grip. 

"I'm n-not overreacting, you're hurt. I c-can't stand by and just w-watch you get hurt, Eddie, I can't," Bill says. 

Eddie sighs and Bill watches him. 

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long h-has he been d-doing this?' Bill asks.

"About since school started..." Eddie trailed off, cringing when Bill lets out a huff of breath and suddenly he's being pulled into Bill's arms. He hesitates only a second before he wraps his own arms around Bill. 

"I'm so s-sorry, Eddie, I really am," Bill mumbles into Eddie's neck. 

"Why? It's not your fault," Eddie says and leans back to look at Bill. 

"I should have been there to p-protect you," Bill says sadly, raising a hand to gently run a finger over the bruise that's just now fading. 

"It's not your job to protect me, Bill," Eddie says softly. 

 

 

"Friends protect their f-friends," Bill argues. "Especially-" He cust off. 

"Especially what?"

"Especially when a friend f-feels the way I d-do about you," He admits quietly. 

"What do you mean by that?" Eddie aks.

"I like you, Eddie," Bill says and stares at Eddie, waiting for his reply. 

Eddie's eyes widen. He's never thought that Bill could return his feelings. He can feel his heart beating faster in his chest and there are butterflies in his stomach. "Really?" 

"Yea. I w-was gonna wait to t-tell you, but I think you should know n-now," Bill explains and his eyes travel to where his hand is still on Eddie's arm. "Sorry. I understand if y-you don't feel the same-"

"Shut up, Bill," Eddie cuts him off and cups Bill's face, stretching up to his tippy toes to kiss him. Bill immediately moves his hands to Eddie's waiste, eagerly kissing him back. 

When they pull back, they're both panting. Bill rests his forehead against Eddie's, looking him in the eye. "I'm not going to let him ever t-touch you again," He says so adamantly that Eddie just nods, feeling secretly relieved.

And Bill stays true to his word. 

Eddie doesn't know what happened or what Bill said or did, but anytime Henry even sees him, he always turns and walks the other way. He doesn't even do the annoying things anymore. Henry Bowers has completely backed off. 

They don't tell the Losers just yet. They take things slow, finding time to just be with each other. Eddie is always at Bill's games and Bill spends all his free time with Eddie. They talk about the things Henry would say and do. They talk about Eddie's feelings towards not feeling like he fits in anywhere. They talk about the pressure Bill feels as the only freshman on the varsity team. 

They're there for each other thick and thin. And when they tell the losers, none of them are surprised. They decide not to tell the others about the Henry situation. Some things are not meant to be shared. 

One day, as Eddie sits and waits for the others to join him for lunch, a girl walks over and gives him a flyer. 

"Hi, we're looking for new members for the student council. We're over all of the school's events and funds. Come by Mr. Moore's room after school if you're interested," She grins and walks away. 

Eddie looks down at the flyer, reading the information on it. He can feel a grin spreading across his face as he reads and looks at the pictures provided of other students that were in student council. 

"What's that?" Bill asks as he sits down next to Eddie. The others start to slowly take their place. Wordlessly, Eddie hands Bill the flyer and after he's done reading it, Bill grins too. 

"See babe? Told you things would start to look up," He winks and presses a kiss to Eddie's cheek.

It all feels like it comes full circle when the next year, Eddie wins President of student council, thanks to his ideas and programs to stop bullying. All with his baseball star boyfriend standing by his side proudly. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I take requests for all ships. My tumblr is the-ben-handsome <3


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